儿童生殖细胞瘤全脑放射治疗中自适应消除摆位累积误差新技术探讨

目的 以影像引导放射治疗(image guided-radiotherapy, IGRT)为基础探讨儿童生殖细胞瘤全脑自适应放射治疗(以下简称放疗）(adaptive radio therapy,ART）可行性,为临床全脑ART提供依据。方法 回顾性研究首都医科大学附属北京天坛医院放射治疗科20例中枢神经系统生殖细胞肿瘤(germ cell tumors, GCTs)行全脑预防性照射的放疗患者。每例患者治疗前三次及后每周行一次锥形束电子计算机断层扫描(cone beam computed tomography,CBCT),共7次。记录整个治疗过程中左右(lateral, LAT)、进出(longitudinal, LNG)、升降(vertical, VRT)方向上的摆位误差值。原计划命名为Plan_A,将因摆位误差值产生新的治疗中心点(treatment center point,ISO)回归治疗计划系统,不改变射野权重、射野分布情况下进行体积剂量计算,用Plan Sum功能相加摆位累积误差产生新计划得到Plan_B。将摆位累积误差产生的新计划用Acuros XB算法重新快速优化后用Plan Sum功能相加得到Plan_C。对比Plan_A、Plan_B、Plan_C的靶区及危及器官(organ at risk, OAR)剂量变化并用Wilcoxon配对符号秩检验证统计学差异。结果与Plan_A相比,Plan_B 均匀性指均匀性指数（homogeneity index, HI）95计划靶区（planning target volume, PTV）、 HI98 PTV为1.058 4~1.084 7。适形度指数(conformity index, CI）PTV为0.934 4。 临床靶区（clinical target volume, CTV）D_min相对偏差为－7.22%,P值为0.000 7。OAR相对偏差为－0.1%~9.8%。与Plan_ A相比,Plan_ C的HI95 PTV、 HI98 PTV为1.056 9~1.078 8。CI PTV为0.936 5。CTV D_min相对偏差为－1.69%,P值为0.545 9。OAR相对偏差为－0.15%~3.40%。结论儿童生殖细胞瘤全脑放疗摆位累计误差对靶区及危及器官剂量差异有统计学意义,摆位累计误差导致靶区均匀性及适形度变差,CTV的D_min 变化超过5%,OAR受量增高。ART再计划可以让靶区均匀性和适形度及危及器官受量接近原计划。同时Plan_B虽然存在相对偏差,但是危及器官的绝对剂量在合理范围内。     

Clinical and experimental study of the effect of compound five-shen herbal drink in the treatment of acute febrile diseases with damage to the yin and reddened tongue syndrome

Based on the experience of the late Beijing traditional medicine professor Zhao Bingnan in treating acute infectious febrile disease and its complications, compound herbal drink composed of five kinds of shen. Six hundred cases of febrile disease with damage to Yin and reddened tongue syndrome and hypokalemia. Patients were randomly divided into groups I, II and control. The perspective study of treatment results and experiments were carried out. The results showed that group I and II who received the compound five-Shen herbal drink (CFSHD) showed good therapeutic effects, the rates of significant effectiveness were 65.5% and 73.1% respectively (P greater than 0.05). The total rates of effectiveness were 97.2% and 96.2% respectively. The rate of significant effectiveness of the control group was 11%, total rate of effectiveness was 43%. There was significant statistical difference between the control group and group I or II (P less than 0.001). Authors of present paper are the first to propose the "Reddened Tongue" to be the main diagnostic criterion of syndrome of "Damage both to the Qi and Yin". Laboratory examination of 344 cases of "Reddened Tongue" revealed that 317 cases with hypokalemia (blood potassium less than 3.5 mEq/L) were 92.15% of the entire group. The authors point out that most of the patients with "damage to both the Qi and Yin" besides hypokalemia can be also low in calcium, magnesium and trace elements. After treatment with CFSHD restoration of normal blood potassium was parallel with the improvement of the reddened tongue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Region-specific growth properties and trophic requirements of brain- and spinal cord-derived rat embryonic neural precursor cells

To determine whether neural precursor cells have region-specific growth properties, we compared the proliferation, mitogenicity, and differentiation of these cells isolated from the embryonic day 16 rat forebrain and spinal cord. Neural precursor cells isolated from both regions were cultured in growth medium supplemented with epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, or epidermal growth factor+basic fibroblast growth factor. Under all three conditions, both neural precursor cell populations proliferated for multiple passages. While spinal cord-derived neural precursor cells proliferated moderately faster in epidermal growth factor-enriched growth medium, brain-derived cells proliferated much faster in basic fibroblast growth factor-enriched growth medium. When exposed to both epidermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor, the two neural precursor cell populations expanded and proliferated more rapidly than when exposed to a single factor, with brain-derived neural precursor cells expanding significantly faster than spinal cord-derived ones (P<0.0001). Differentiation studies showed that both neural precursor cell populations were multi-potent giving rise to neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. However, neuronal differentiation from brain-derived neural precursor cells was greater than spinal cord-derived ones (11.95+/-5.00% vs 1.92+/-1.13%; passage 2). Further, the two neural precursor cell populations differentiated into a similar percentage of oligodendrocytes (brain: 8.66+/-5.85%; spinal cord: 7.69+/-3.91%; passage 2). Immunofluorescence and Western blot studies showed that neural precursor cells derived from both regions expressed receptors for basic fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor. However, brain-derived neural precursor cells expressed higher levels of the two receptors than spinal cord-derived ones in growth medium containing epidermal growth factor+basic fibroblast growth factor. Thus, our results showed that neural precursor cells isolated from the two regions of the CNS have distinct properties and growth requirements. Identifying phenotypic differences between these neural precursor cell populations and their growth requirements should provide new insights into the development of cell therapies for region-specific neurological degenerative diseases.     

Disturbances of cell-mediated immunity in ornithosis

27 cases of ornithosis were observed during an epidemia in 1980 in Kielce and subsequently followed with respect to immunological characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocytes. Blastic transformation of these cells was tested after stimulation in vitro with three different mitogens. Identification of peripheral blood T and B lymphocytes was done using rosette tests (E,EA,EAC) and the occurrence of surface immunoglobulins was determined by the immunofluorescent method with polyvalent anti-immunoglobulin serum. The counts of T and B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood were normal throughout the whole period of the observation, but from the 3rd week on a significant impairment of 3H-thymidine incorporation into the cells stimulated with Con A was observed, and from the 10th week on, this impairment appeared also in cells stimulated with PHA and PWM. These observations revealed considerable disturbances in cell-mediated reactivity in patients with ornithosis and seem to be connected with chronic infection with Chlamydia psittaci.     

Causal relationship between a tumour growth and the changes in histamine metabolism in tissues of sarcoma-bearing rat

The relationship between malignancy and histamine metabolism in the liver and the small intestine has been examined in sarcoma-bearing Wistar rats two weeks after subcutaneous implantation of a transplantable methylcholanthrene sarcoma Sa1828 and on the 3, 7 and 14th days after tumour extirpation. Two weeks after tumour implantation, the histamine level was increased by 100% and 50% in the liver and the small intestine, respectively. On the 3rd day after extirpation of the tumour the level of histamine had returned to the control values and remained unchanged during the next 10 days. Neither of the histamine catabolizing enzymes, diamine oxidase with a putrescine as a substrate or histamine methyltransferase were influenced by the existing tumour or by its extirpation except on the 14th day where a high increase in diamine oxidase activity was found. Some changes in the distribution of histamine metabolites suggest an involvement of an oxidative pathway of histamine catabolism as well as the aldehyde catabolizing enzymes in tumour development.     

Safety and efficacy of oral nemonoxacin versus levofloxacin in treatment of community-acquired pneumonia: A phase 3, multicenter,randomized, double-blind,double-dummy,active-controlled,non-inferiority trial

Background/Purpose

Nemonoxacin is a novel nonfluorinated quinolone with excellent in vitro activity against most pathogens in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), especially Gram-positive isolates. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of nemonoxacin compared with levofloxacin in patients with CAP.

Glibenclamide treatment in a Cantú syndrome patient with a pathogenic ABCC9 gain‐of‐function variant: Initial experience

Cantú syndrome (CS), characterized by hypertrichosis, distinctive facial features, and complex cardiovascular abnormalities, is caused by pathogenic variants in ABCC9 and KCNJ8 genes. These genes encode gain‐of‐function mutations in the regulatory (SUR2) and pore‐forming (Kir6.1) subunits of K_ATP channels, respectively, suggesting that channel‐blocking sulfonylureas could be a viable therapy. Here we report a neonate with CS, carrying a heterozygous ABCC9 variant (c.3347G>A, p.Arg1116His), born prematurely at 32 weeks gestation. Initial echocardiogram revealed a large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and high pulmonary pressures with enlarged right ventricle. He initially received surfactant and continuous positive airway pressure ventilation and was invasively ventilated for 4 weeks, until PDA ligation. After surgery, he still had ongoing bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) requirement, but was subsequently weaned to nocturnal BiPAP. He was treated for pulmonary hypertension with Sildenafil, but failed to make further clinical improvement. A therapeutic glibenclamide trial was commenced in week 11 (initial dose of 0.05 mg^–1 kg^–1 day^–1 in two divided doses). After 1 week of treatment, he began to tolerate time off BiPAP when awake, and edema improved. Glibenclamide was well tolerated, and the dose was slowly increased to 0.15 mg^?1 kg^?1day^?1 over the next 12 weeks. Mild transient hypoglycemia was observed, but there was no cardiovascular dysfunction. Confirmation of therapeutic benefit will require studies of more CS patients but, based on this limited experience, consideration should be given to glibenclamide as CS therapy, although problems associated with prematurity, and complications of hypoglycemia, might limit outcome in critically ill neonates with CS.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of brain abnormalities in patients with the Nijmegen breakage syndrome

The results of brain MRI are presented in 22 patients with documented Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS), aged from 1 and 9/12 to 20 years. T1-, PD or FLAIR and T2-weighted SE/TSE images in three planes were obtained. Twenty-one patients showed microcephaly. Decreased size of frontal lobes and narrow frontal horns of the lateral ventricles was observed in all cases. In 6 patients agenesis of the posterior part of the corpus callosum was found as well as colpocephaly and temporal horn dilatation. In 2 patients callosal hypoplasia was accompanied by other anomalies: abnormal cerebrospinal fluid spaces. Sinusitis was present in all patients as a result of primary immunodeficiency. As in ataxia teleangiectasia and other breakage syndromes, NBS patients show inherited malignancy susceptibility and hypersensitivity to X and gamma radiation. Because of that computed tomography is contraindicated in these patients and MRI should be the method of choice in diagnostic imaging.     

Significance of PBMC response of rheumatic fever patients and control individuals to immunodominant streptococcal M5 protein epitopes

β-hemolytic streptococcal infection in developing countries still causes thousands of cases of Rheumatic Fever (RF). Molecular mimicry between streptococcal M protein (strep M) and heart components has been proposed as the triggering factor leading to autoimmunity in individuals with genetic susceptibility, which is linked to different HLA-DR alleles in different populations. In our hands, RF was significantly associated to HLA-DR7/53. Previous work in our lab has shown that heart-infiltrating T cells that simultaneously recognize strep M and heart proteins. Further, such T cells predominantly recognized the 81-103 strep M5 epitope. In this work, we analysed the proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 99 RF patients and 40 normal controls. Eighty-nine of the RF patients were HLA-typed. As among heart-infiltrating T cells, the 81-103 strep M5 protein epitope is the most frequently recognized epitope among RF PBMC (35.4%), against a 7.5% frequency of proliferation among normal controls (p=0.0018, chi square). However, the 81-103 epitope was as frequently recognized by HLA-DR7,53 positive as by negative individuals (45.2% vs 54.8%, respectively). Taken together, the results suggest that the 81-103 strep M5 epitope may be the immunodominant epitope, “promiscuously” recognized by T cells in a genetically diverse population. The demonstration that molecular mimicry is targeted to a discrete immunodominant “promiscuous” epitope in strep M5 may allow the development of a safe anti-streptococcal synthetic vaccine devoid of such epitopes.